The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-27

which are perfect conductors of electricity the
electricity is conducted to the brain Each
nerve is insulated BY being surrounded by
membrane which is non-conductor. AT the
brain each nerve terminates in a CELL which is
in construction. tiny Leyden jar, and these
cells are in fact, a battery Of such jars From
these cells two sets of nerves pass to the heart
one nerve proceeding from each CELL and each
set, system of nerves being wholly distlnci
and separate from the other. One set goes Il
the right heart and one to the left, and the flow
OF the electric current is alternately from one to
the other
To illustrate the application of the electri,
force to the circulation of the blood, let as
sumo that the electricity conducted to the heart
from the brain is positive Then, il the right
auricle is charged with positive electricity it viii
attract toward it from all parts OF the veinou
system the particles of negative blood. and the
result will be to fill the right auricle with blood
The blood there becoming, by contact. charges
with positive electricity, will be repealed from
the right aurcle. and thence forced through the
right ventrlcle to the lungs, thence to the LEFT
auricle, thence to the left ventrice and thence
through the aorta into the arteral system
AT the lungs the blood seems to undergo .
marked change. in which it loses its positively
electrified character 1t would seem that at the
same time that the positive electricity is taken
from the air into the lungs to be carried to the
BRAIN the positive electricity is also taken from
the blood. and the blood becomes charged with
negative electricity. Assuming this to be the
case, the course of the blood in its circulation
through the human system and the application
to it OF the propelllng force. are as follows: The
veinOus negative blood is attracted to the right
heart, which is charged with positive electricity
from the brain, there it becomes positive, and is
repealed from the right heart and passes to the
lungs. where it becomes negative again Be-
coming thus ne .ative t would be drawn back
into the rig heart by its positive attraction
but for the valves in the pulmonary
artery which close upon it, and
the passage to the left heart being open and the
left heart being also positively charged from tho
brain. the blood is drawn from the lungs into it,
whence it, becoming charged with positive cleo
tricty, is again repealed and passes out into the
body through the arterial system, passing
through the capillaries into the VEINS whence it
Is drawn again to the right heart
In passing from the arteries through the capil
laries into the veins change takes place which
affects both the character and color of the blood
The positive electricity is apparently taken from
the blood where IL becomes an important factor
10 the process of combustion which is there be-
ing continually carried on, and it becomes neg
alive again.
In addition to the direct attractive aud re-
pellant force exerted on the blood by the elec-
triclty. there is. also, probably a considerable
muscular force exerted on the blood at the heart
by the alternate expansion and contraction on
the walls of the heart, but this, instead of being
distinct and independent force, is the result of
the passage Of the electric current from the brain
to the heart This is shown by the common
experiment of passing a current of electricity
through heart. and. indeed. in this Experiment is
found one OF the clearest proofs of the correct
ness of the theory advanced in this paper.
/ am satisfied. from my own Investigations,
that almost every phenomenon connected with
the circulation of the blood and the action of the
heart may be explained satisfactorily in harmony
with this theory. The action Of the heart in
cases of death by hanging. where respiration has
entirely ceased, and the action of the heart be-
fore respiration in infants are among these. I
also fully appreciate the fact that If the theory
is correct 1t will not only explain almost every
such phenomenon, but it must do more-it must
explain or be in harmony with all. If it fails in
q single instance it cannot stand.
It is because of this that for more than five
years have declined to make the theory public,
and but for the request of some of the members
of your society I would not do at this time.
had hoped. by myself. to complete the proof
by which to approve or condemn it. but for want
of time and of a sufficient knowledge of anat-
ony, l am unable to do / am. however,
pleased TO submit it 20 you, and trust you to put
it to severer tests than have been able. Co